Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

The Alphard drove smoothly on the night road.

Xu Qingya leaned back in her airline seat, kicked off her flat shoes, and stepped on the ground wearing only a pair of white socks.

She turned her head to look at Shen Nian, who was huddled in her seat next to her.

Shen Nian sat upright with her knees together and her hands on her lap.

Xu Qingya took a bottle of mineral water from the armrest box and handed it over.

"Drink some water."

Shen Nian took it, unscrewed the cap, and took a small sip.

"Thank you, Sister Xu."

Xu Qingya didn't rush to speak.

The streetlights outside the car window swept across Shen Nian's profile in beams.

He was in his early twenties, with fair skin, and the way he looked drinking water with his head down resembled that of a college student.

"Shen Nian."

"Um?"

"When did you start liking Jiang Fan?"

Shen Nian almost spat out the water in her mouth.

She quickly covered her mouth with the back of her hand and coughed twice.

Xu Qingya didn't urge her, she just watched.

Shen Nian screwed the bottle cap on, her face turning red from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears.

"I……"

"Don't be nervous. Let's just chat casually."

Shen Nian lowered her head, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

"When I participated in The Voice of China."

The car was quiet for a few seconds.

Xu Qingya reached out and gently patted Shen Nian's head.

"Little girl."

Shen Nian looked up at her, not understanding what those three words meant.

Xu Qingya withdrew her hand and leaned back in a more comfortable position.

"If you like it, go for it. Why do you think Su Yuyan came today? If you don't reach out, someone else will take it. You can't rely on that obedient look for long with Jiang Fan."

Shen Nian raised her head and bit her lip.

"I'm not trying to fight for anything. I just want to be by his side."

Xu Qingya chuckled.

"Don't fight? Once he's surrounded by people, you won't even have a place to stand."

Xu Qingya turned her head to look at her.

"You asked for the role of the Jade Rabbit Spirit yourself, didn't you?"

Shen Nian nodded.

"Yes, that's the first step." Xu Qingya's tone softened. "Once you're on set, act well. Don't let him think you're just a useless pretty face."

Shen Nian gripped the mineral water bottle, remaining silent for a long time.

Xu Qingya closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

"Su Yuyan is no pushover, and Tang Yingxue has a fiery temper too. Someone like you would just be cannon fodder if you went in."

"If you need anything in the future, you can come to me."

Shen Nian was stunned.

She looked at Xu Qingya's profile with her eyes closed.

Xu Qingya and she were fighting over the same man.

Logically, this diva should be hoping she disappears.

Shen Nian bit her lip, unsure whether she should ask.

Xu Qingya kept her eyes closed, her voice echoing in the carriage.

Don't overthink it. I'm not trying to win you over.

"Then why, Sister Xu...?"

"Because you're no threat." Xu Qingya's lips curled up slightly. "Besides, having more people on my side is better than having Su Yuyan pull you over."

Shen Nian: "..."

Okay, it sounds quite sincere.

-

Li Cheng's van entered the outer ring road.

Jiang Fan leaned back in the passenger seat, closing his eyes to rest.

I went through the events of today in my mind.

The simultaneous appearance of four women at the orphanage nearly caused an uproar at the dinner table.

Fang's mother deserved the scolding she received.

But Xu Qingya's performance today was not an act.

I chatted with Fang's mom for the whole afternoon, from helping to chop vegetables in the kitchen to voluntarily washing dishes.

The woman standing by the sink in a floral apron is completely different from the pop diva on stage, who wears high heels and makes thousands scream when she opens her mouth.

Although Su Yuyan was good at spending money, there was always a distance between her and Fang Ma.

Shen Nian is young and still in the stage of trying to please others.

Song Siyi is one of us, there's no need to argue.

We can't let Xu Qingya's feelings today go to waste.

"Brother Fan, where are we going?" Li Cheng asked.

"Go to Xu Qingya's place."

Li Cheng turned the steering wheel to the right and changed lanes onto the ramp.

"I knew it."

Jiang Fan opened his eyes and glanced at him.

"You know nothing."

"Teacher Xu chopped vegetables all afternoon today, her hands are all red. What's she doing this for?" Li Cheng glanced at Jiang Fan in the rearview mirror. "It wouldn't be right not to go and see her."

Jiang Fan didn't reply.

After driving for two minutes, Li Cheng muttered something again.

"To be honest, Ms. Xu's apron look today... was quite nice."

"Shut up and drive your car."

"Okay."

-

Forty minutes later, the car stopped in front of Xu Qingya's villa.

Jiang Fan entered the access code and pushed the door open. The lights were off, and no one had returned yet.

He turned on the light in the entryway, and there were several pairs of shoes that Xu Qingya usually wore, neatly arranged on the shoe cabinet.

He changed into slippers, draped his coat over the coat rack in the entryway, and went to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water.

Then I went into the bathroom.

-

Fifteen minutes later, there was movement from the entrance hall.

The footsteps approached from the doorway and then suddenly stopped.

Xu Qingya's gaze swept over a pair of men's leather shoes that had appeared next to the shoe cabinet.

The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upwards.

She didn't say anything and tiptoed inside.

The living room lights were off, and the bedroom door at the end of the hallway was ajar, letting in a little light.

Xu Qingya walked to the bedroom door and heard the shower in the bathroom still running.

She let her hair down from the hairpin and let it fall over her shoulders.

She took off her cardigan, unzipped her long skirt, and put the clothes in the laundry basket at the foot of the bed.

The bathroom door was unlocked.

She pushed open the door, and a wave of heat hit her.

Jiang Fan stood with his back to the door under the showerhead, water streaming down his shoulders and back.

Hearing the noise, he turned his head and glanced over.

"You're back."

Xu Qingya did not answer.

She threw the last of her belongings on the sink, stepped barefoot onto the wet floor tiles, and entered the shower room.

Hot water was poured on both of them at the same time.

Xu Qingya wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pressing her face against his shoulder blade.

"I'm a little tired today," she said in a muffled voice.

Jiang Fan turned around and looked down at her.

Her hair was soaked with water and stuck to her face.

"If you're tired, don't move, let me do it."

Jiang Fan helped Su Qingya apply shower gel all over her body.

Then, supporting Xu Qingya's lower back with one hand, he turned her around and pressed her against the glass partition of the shower room.

Xu Qingya's waist slumped down, and she braced her hands on the glass.

The front of my chest was pressed against the fogged glass.

The icy touch made her abruptly shrink her shoulders.

"cold……"

Give me your hand.

Xu Qingya removed her right hand from the glass and handed it to him.

There were a few faint red marks on my fingertips—from chopping vegetables that afternoon.

Jiang Fan put her finger in his mouth and ran his tongue over the fingertip.

Xu Qingya trembled slightly and leaned forward half an inch, increasing the area pressed against the glass.

Jiang Fan stopped moving.

"Jiang Fan..."

"Um?"

Why aren't you moving?

"You just said you were tired today."

"I am tired, but—I didn't tell you to stop—"

The water from the showerhead poured over the two of them, and the sounds in the bathroom grew louder and louder.

-

About forty minutes later, Jiang Fan took a step back, supported her waist, and helped her rinse off.

Xu Qingya turned around and leaned against him, letting the hot water scald both of them.

"Jiang Fan".

"Um."

Did Fang's mother scold you today?

How did you know?

"Your ears were red when you came out of the storage room." Xu Qingya looked up at him, her wet eyelashes fluttering twice. "What did Aunt Fang say?"

"Let me have a conscience."

Xu Qingya reached out and pinched the flesh on his waist.

"Do you even have a conscience?"

Jiang Fan turned off the shower and took a bath towel to wrap around her.

"Yes, I'm here now."

Xu Qingya snorted and walked out of the shower room wrapped in a bath towel.

Jiang Fan followed behind.

The blue system panel appeared at the edge of the retina.

[Deep Compatibility x1, Lifespan +3000]

Current lifespan: 115300 points

Jiang Fan turned off the panel with a thought.

Xu Qingya had already climbed into bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin, leaving only her face exposed.

Jiang Fan wiped his hair—

Since I have no hair now, I wiped it off in just a couple of seconds.

He tossed the towel onto the rack and walked to the bedside.

Xu Qingya reached out, grabbed his arm, and pulled him into the blankets.

Jiang Fan lay down, and Xu Qingya turned over, resting her head on his arm and snuggling into his embrace. She fell asleep within minutes.